


Paradise lost

by damnata



Series: Whumptober 2019 [3]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst, Delirium, Hallucinations, Hurt, M/M, Mood Swings, Sleep Deprivation, Whump, whumptober2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-11-23 01:08:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20883677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/damnata/pseuds/damnata
Summary: The strange letters of the elven language ran together, looping and swirling and not making any sense at all.One more paragraph, Alec promised himself. One more paragraph and he would allow himself a small break to make another cup of coffee.





	Paradise lost

**Author's Note:**

> Day 3 - Delirium

_ 9.47 PM. Five days since Magnus went to Edom. _

Alec´s rubbed at his neck tiredly, twisting it this way and that before forcing himself to focus on the tome before him. It was elven, and Alec wasn´t particularly great in elven, but it just might contain the information needed to bring Magnus back home.

The apothecary felt cold without his fiance by his side. Alec shuddered and pulled Magnus´ favourite blanket tighter around himself. He tried not to think about the heat of Edom, the constant sand storms and hordes of demons.

He tried not to.

The strange letters of the elven language ran together, looping and swirling and not making any sense at all.

One more paragraph, Alec promised himself. One more paragraph and he would allow himself a small break to make another cup of coffee.

_ 3.18 AM. Six days since Magnus went to Edom. _

The elven book had turned out to be a massive waste of time. Alec cried out of frustration, tore at his hair and smashed one of Magnus´ tiny bottles against the wall in a fit of rage before calming and dropping to the floor, his legs suddenly feeling very tired.

He stared at the door and wished for Magnus to come through it, for him to drop his messenger bag in the hallway, so Alec can trip over it later, and magic himself into comfortable clothes with just a snap of his fingers. The clothes only Alec saw him wearing.

Alec missed tripping over the fucking bag. He missed Magnus.

With trembling fingers, he applied a stamina rune and got back to work.

Magnus was going to be pissed when he found out that Alec had broken one of his fancy bottles and Alec was going to let him snap and sigh before pulling him in for a kiss, glad to have him home.

_ 12.05 PM. Seven days since Alec last saw Magnus. _

_ Edom _ , Alec thought as he browsed the vast array of books covering the walls of Magnus´ loft. Edom, an ancient kingdom that once stood between Moab and the Arabah and the Arabian Desert, the territory now divided between Israel and Jordan.

Bela, son of Beor. Jobab, son of Zerah. Hushad and Hadad and Samlah and Shaul and Baal-hanan and...and…

Asmodeus. The demon of lust whose name derives from  _ aēšma-daēva _ of the Avestan language, meaning “wrath” and “demon”. The servant of Lucifer, the Morning Star, the Lightbringer. 

The shrill sound of Alec´s ringtone echoed through the empty apartment. He jumped in surprise, the books in his arms wobbling dangerously.

Alec ignored the phone call. Nothing was as important as Magnus.

He frowned, staring at the cover of “ _ Paradise Lost _ ” that sat on top of the pile of books he was holding.

Where was Magnus?

_ 6.26 PM. Nine days. Nine. _

“I´m in the apothecary!” Alec called, but no one came. He could have sworn he had heard someone calling for him. Someone he knew, loved.

Who even had an apothecary?

Alec turned back to the scroll before him, ignoring the pain in his hand that came from the scars of too-many stamina runes applied in a criss-cross mess and the person calling for him.

They would come when they were ready.

_ 01.51 AM. _

There was a band of silver around his finger. Alec turned it around and around as he forced down a piece of dry bread.

It felt like sand in his mouth.

There was a portal to Edom in the ruins of Ancient Idumea. Alec had just read about it.

It seemed like a place where there would be sand.

Funny.

_ Wednesday, 24th of November. 10.12 AM. Twelve days since Magnus had gone to Edom. Four days since anyone heard from Alec. _

“Please, can you do it any faster?” Isabelle stressed as she paced back-and-forth in front of the door to Magnus´ and Alec´s penthouse. 

“These wards are very strong,” Catarina explained patiently as she had already done before. “Magnus´ magic is reacting to Alec´s agitation and repelling anyone who could ever be a threat. Dot and I will try to soothe it but you have to remain calm and collected when you cross the threshold or it will lash out.”

Izzy stopped at once and nodded, forcing herself to take in calming breaths. Alec was alive, she reminded herself. Jace had detected some pain and confusion and a whole lot of fatigue but he was fine.

“Try now,” Dot said then through gritted teeth as she poured her own still-healing magic into the wards. “Quick.”

Izzy bolted for the door, forcing down a scream as magic burned over her skin. She was still too frustrated, too worried.

_Please_, she thought,_ I just want to help. He´s my brother, I love him._

The wards gave and Isabelle landed on her knees inside the apartment, coming face to face with a very surprised Alec who was sat on a chair just before the door.

“Hello,” Alec said mildly. “We weren't expecting guests.”

There were dark circles under Alec´s reddened eyes, the sickly-pale skin of his face taut over his cheekbones. He was staring at Izzy with his head cocked to the side, his trembling hands resting on his knees.

Alec smiled, then frowned, then smiled again.

“I would offer you something but...there is nothing. Magnus was always the best host. Have you seen him?”

“No,” Izzy said, dread pooling in the pit of her stomach. “I haven´t.”

Alec frowned once again.

“What did you do to him?” He hissed before turning to stare into the empty living room. “I´m fine, babe.”

Delirium, possibly from sleep deprivation. Izzy needed to get Alec to lie down and fast.

“Magnus is running late,” She said, slowly getting on her feet, her hands raised in a placating manner. “There was a client, a demanding mundane. You know how they get.”

Alec stared at her suspiciously before nodding. “Yes, yes. He must´ve called me. There was a ringing…”

“He asked me to see that you go to bed,” She said, inching closer to Alec and then gently grabbing his hand. “He knows that you can´t sleep well without him but he wanted you to try. Will you try for him?”

“He always worries,” Alec whispered as she rose from his seat, swaying dangerously but following Izzy to the bedroom. Docile, like a lamb.

Izzy only hummed as he helped Alec between the sheets, reeking clothes and all. She would have to wait until Alec was fully asleep before she could call Catarina in, otherwise, he could react badly and the wards would turn against them once again.

“Hey, did you know there´s a portal to Edom in Old Idumea?” He asked excitedly, holding onto Izzy´s hand like a child. “It said so in a really old book. Even Magnus didn´t know that. Where is Magnus?”

“He´s coming home to you,” Isabelle promised, sniffing against the tears threatening to fall. “He´s coming home as we speak. He loves you so much, Alec.”

“Good,” Alec sighed, his body finally going lax as he melted into the sheets, all the frantic energy that had kept him up for close to two weeks leaving him. “I miss him. It hurts.”

“I know,” Izzy soothed, running a hand through his brother´s unkempt hair. “He never wanted to part from you. Rest now, brother.”

Alec´s eyes finally closed and his breath evened out, raspy as it was, and Izzy finally let her tears fall. She would have to deal with Alec waking up later and discovering that Magnus was still in Edom but there was hope.

There was hope.

With a sigh, she let go of Alec´s hand and went to call Catarina in. She could as well take a look at Old Idumea while his brother rested.


End file.
